Aftermath
by DhampyrX2
Summary: A few days after the end of the family Wizard competition a relative that is not often mentioned in the Russo house shows up to check on things and points out a fact that may shake the perceptions of the entire Russo clan to the core.


Title: Aftermath

Author: DhampyrX2

Genre: Family/X-over

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Don't sue me, I've got nothing

Summary: A few days after the end of the family Wizard competition a relative that is not often mentioned in the Russo house shows up to check on things and points out a fact that may shake the perceptions of the entire Russo clan to the core. Although really, they should be common sense.

It was a couple of days after the end of the family wizard competition. Jerry Russo had to admit, in the back of his mind, that all in all things had been tolerable. His kids had at least banded together in a way he had failed to do with his siblings. It warmed his heart as he saw how Justin and Alex were doing their level best to cheer up Max in the aftermath of the competition. It was so different from how Jerry had dealt with things with Kelbo and Megan. Never mind poor Jess…

"Hey, Uncle Jerry," a voice called out, interrupting his thoughts. Ironically, it was someone connected to the last name he was thinking. Jessica. His father's dirty little secret that didn't even get a chance at the family powers since she was a half mortal bastard born from a drunken night in Vegas. Needless to say, Kelbo had inherited his sense of "responsibility" from their father. It not for magic, the man would have been a total waste.

Still, the young man that had appeared in the sub shop was a welcome sight. "Xander," Jerry greeted his only nephew (so far, Kelbo was all but immortal and Megan wasn't exactly over the hill, you never know) with a smile before he frowned and asked, "My God, what happened to your eye?"

Xander Harris smiled mirthlessly as he replied, "Got on the wrong side of the wrong big bad back home a couple of years ago."

Jerry hissed grimly in sympathy. For all that Xander was excluded from the line for the Russo family powers; it still did not mean that people in the Community did not keep an eye out for him. Xander's exploits with the famed Slayer Buffy Summers were actually reported on fairly regularly. In fact, trying to be like his somewhat famous cousin was part of the reason why Justin had tried his hand as a monster hunter after finishing his family wizard studies. Frankly, Jerry thought Xander had a screw loose for taking on all those demons and other assorted abominations without magic.

"You should have called and told us you were hurt," Jerry admonished lightly.

"I figured it would have come up somewhere in the wizard news or something. And I didn't want to worry you and Aunt Teresa," Xander replied with a sheepish grin.

"You should know better than that. Now get over here and give me a hug," Jerry ordered as be moved in to embrace his nephew. "What brings you here? News with your group all but dried up after Sunnydale."

"Nothing much to tell. At least, nothing that I can get into. After we collapsed the Hellmouth and licked our wounds I was in Africa for a while. I just got back, in fact. I figured I'd check in with the family and see how things were. I heard through the grapevine that you finally had the family competition. I figured I'd see how everyone was taking it," Xander explained.

As usual he did not go into detail about his work as a demon hunter, nor did he go into detail about how he had heard about the family competition. Frankly, Jerry was grateful for that. What Jerry didn't know, he couldn't reveal if the wrong wizards came asking. Instead he just smiled a bit as he motioned for Xander to sit down and explained the circumstances of the competition. How Justin had technically won, but gave up the win for Alex, who would have won if she hadn't moved to help he brother. How Professor Crumbs has retired as the head of WizTech, and appointed Justin his successor, thus creating a workaround for the whole "one wizard per generation" rule. How Max would inherit the Sub Station, although he was still depressed about being the only Russo sibling to lose his powers.

After a moment or two to process Xander shook his head and responded, "Poor Max. Does he know the whole "loosing" your powers thing is a load of crap? I mean, I've been around Willow and Giles enough to understand that you can't take a witch or wizard's powers permanently without killing him first. They can bind them, sure, but they can't take them. You're born with your powers."

Jerry's face paled as he listened to what Xander said. That kind of talk was outright treasonous in the eyes of the Wizard Council. Sure, Xander was technically not connected to them, but they could still come for him.

Xander seemed to know what was going through his Uncle's mind as he added, "Relax, Uncle Jerry. To paraphrase Professor X, I would feel a great swell of pity for the members of the Wizard Council that would come to my school looking for trouble. They're not gunning for me, and if they know what's what they wouldn't hurt your family, either."

"Still…"Jerry replied with a wince. "I don't know if mentioning that to Max would be a good idea."

"It's your call, Uncle Jerry. I was just throwing it out there. I never did understand the one wizard per family rule. Well, except as a political thing to keep the number of wizards small enough to control," Xander replied.

Of course, Xander failed to mention the shadow he noticed moving under the door into the kitchen of the Sub Station.

And for her part, Alex was faced with the dilemma of mentioning what her cousin had told her father to brothers. Not only could it get them all in trouble, it would possibly destroy Justin's new position at WizTech and end her chance of being with Mason. But if she remained silent, Max would still be hurt by everything. Then again, when had she ever exercised any kind of impulse control?


End file.
